Spring-whiffletree



(No Model.)

J. H. FOOTE.

SPRING WHIFFLBTREE. .NO. 377,025, Patented Jan. 31, 1888.

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JAMES H. FOOTE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SPRING-WHIFFLETREE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,025, dated January 31, 1888.

Application filed March 10, 1887.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that l, J urns H. Foorn, a cilizen of theUnited States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in $pring-lVhillietrees, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to those whitl'letrces which have a plate-spring connection with the pole or tongue for the purpose of preventing the horses being strained when the vehicle is first started; and one feature of my improvements comprises a novel keeper or housing having at its rear an open ended socket, to which the spring is applied, as hereinafter more fully described.

Another feature of my improvements comprises a novel combination of devices for uniting the front ends of the housing, as hereinafter more fully described.

Hy improvements further comprise a novel combination of bearings and shackles wherewith the opposite ends of the plate-springs are coupled to the whitlietrec, as hereinafter more fully described.

Another feature of my improvements COlllprises a novel arrangement of buffer or cushion that prevents injurious concussion ot' the whiiiletrce and spring-housing, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l isaplan of a whiilletree embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan of the spring and its keeper detached from the whi'l'lletree. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of said keeper in position on the whiftlctrce. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section thereof. Fig. 5 is a rear end elevation of the keeper, a portion ofthe platespring being shown. Fig. 6 is a plan of the central portion of the whiltlctree and its attachments. Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the whittletree, taken in the plane of one of the shackles.

A represents an ordinary whittletree,having the customaryloops or hooks, ca, at its opposite ends for attachment to the singletrees.

B B are respectively the upper and lower plates of a keeper or housing, which is preferably made of malleable iron, the opposing faces of said plates having near their front ends Serial No. 230,330. (No model.)

spurs b b, that engage with undercut pockets 0 c in the top and bottom of a separable block, C, that closes the opening of said housin Furthermore, the rear ends of said plates have respectively lugs D D and E E, which, together with the web F, that unites the plates B 13, form a socket, G, whose duty will presently appear. Plates B B are pierced at H H, to admit the ordinary wagon-hammer.

I represents the platespring, which may be composed of one or more leaves, as circunr stances may suggest, eyes i 2" being provided at the opposite ends of said spring, and a band, clip, or rr-ent'orce, J, being fastened at its midlength. This band is preferably heated, and then placed upon the spring and allowed to shrink around the same, thus dispensing with special retaining devices and avoiding any weakening of the parts. This band J fits snugly within the socket G, as seen in Figs. 1, 3, and 5, and thus prevents either vertical or horizontal shifting of the spring, while at the same time the latter is allowed to bend freely. The eyes c 11 of the spring are traversed by ver tical bolts K K, passing through perforations in the rear ends of shackles L L, whose front bars are rounded, as seen at Z in Fig. 7. These rounded bars of the shackles are seated in concave bearings M M, attached to the front edge of the whitlletree, and preferably adjustable, for the purpose of retaining said shackles in their proper position. The backs of these hearings may be serrated, as seen in Fig. (3, to engage with the serrated portion 0 of a strap, 0, attach ed to the front edge of the whiifletree. Furthermore, these hearings may be slotted longitudinally at I, to receive a screw or bolt, 1), which arrangement of devices is exactly duplicated at the opposite end of the strap, the central part of the latter having a socket, B, that receives a buffer or cushion, S, of cork, leather, or india rubber, or other suitable compressible material.

T T are stops secured to the rear edge of the whit'fietree for the ends of the spring to normally rest against.

To apply my improvements to any ordinary whiftletree, the latter is simply inserted between the plates B B, and the front ends of these plates are then sprung apart a sufficient distance to admit the block C. Said block is then shoved back until the lugs b b snap into the pockets 0, when a slight blow with a K K are secured in said shackles and the eyes 2' 'i of. the spring. The opposite ends of the spring normally bear against the stops T T; but the instant the horses commence to pull the spring bends or bows, and thereby draws itself away from said stop, the shackles L L pulling takes place.

swinging readily within their concave bearings MM to allow this motion ofthe spring to occur. Consequently the spring relieves the horses of any injurious straining. and when its ten sion has been overcome the rear of block 0 comes in contact with the buffer S, and thus prevents a rigid heavy pull against the whiffletree. It'will thus be seen that my improvements save the horses both when the vehicle is first started and after the steady continued It is also apparent that my open-ended socket G at the rear of the housing B B enables the ready application of a new spring in case one of theleaves should break or bend.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with a whiffietree, of

housing or keeper having at rear an openended socket, within which is fitted a leafspring, the extremities of the latter being coupled to said whiffietree, substantially as herein described.

2. A whiffletree spring having its opposite extremities coupled to swinging shackles, which latter engage with concave bearings attached to the front edge of the whiffletree, for

the purpose described.

3. A whiffletree-spring housing consisting of the plates B B, having at their rear ends lugs D D E E, and at their front ends spurs b b, that'engage with the pockets 0 c of a separable block, 0, for the purpose described.

4. A whiffletree having a spring in the rear and a buffer secured to its front edge, for the purpose described.

5. The metallic strap 0, fastened to the frontedge of a whiffletree, said strap being provided with a socket, B, for the buffer S,'anda serrated portion, 0, for the concave bearing M, as herein described.

6. The combination of \vhiflletrce A, housing B B G H H, spring It i, band J, bolts K K, shackles L L, concave hearings M M, and stops T T, for the purpose herein described.

7. The combination, with a \vhiffletree, ofa housing or keeper having at rear an openended socket, within which is fitted the band ofa leafspring, the extremities of the latter being coupled to said whiffietree, for the purpose described.

In testimony whercofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. FOOTE.;

WVitnesses:

JAMES H. LAYMAN, RANKIN D. JONES. 

